7 October 1942: Departs Seso, proceeds to gunfire trials and arrives
back at Seso later that same day.

9 October 1942: Departs Seso, proceeds to gunfire trials and arrives
back at Seso later that same day.

22 October 1942: Departs Seso with auxiliary gunboat NISSHO MARU No.
2 and arrives at Naze, Amami Oshima, later that same day.

23 October 1942: Departs Naze and arrives at Seso later that day.

27 October 1942: Departs Seso for some training exercises in various
whereabouts.

29 October 1942: Arrives at Seso.

31 October 1942: Replenishes 10-tons of fresh water.

5 November 1942: Undergoes repairs to broken seals in the main
mechanical pressure cylinder packing boxes.

18 November 1942: Departs Seso and comes back later that same day.

20 November 1942: Departs Seso for Sasebo.

22 November 1942: Arrives at Sasebo.

E 23-27 November 1942: Loads 110-tons of cargo and embarks 55 troops.

28 November 1942: Departs Sasebo for Seso.

29 November 1942: Arrives at Seso.

30 November 1942: Proceeds to unloading operations.

1 December 1942: Departs Seso for Sasebo.

3 December 1942: Arrives at Sasebo.

18 December 1942: Operation C (HEI-GO) - The Reinforcement of New Guinea:
Assigned to a transport mission under Combined Fleet secret instruction No.
178. The objective of this transport operation is to rush the 20th and 41st Army
Division to Wewak. The operation consists of three separate operations, two of
them divided into sub echelons sailing at different dates: The first operation
HEI-ICHI GO (HEI-GO 1) is to land the main strength of the 20th Army Division
consisting of 9,443 men, 82 vehicles, arms and 12,267 bundles of provisions at
Wewak. The third operation is to land the main strength of the 41st Army
Division consisting of 13,657 men, 123 vehicles and 95, 617 bundles of supplies
and provisions at Wewak. [5]

19 December 1942: Departs Sasebo for Seso.

20 December 1942: Arrives at Seso. Proceeds to unloading operations.

23 December 1942: Departs Seso.

28 December 1942: Arrives at Kawasaki in East Convoy No. 59 also
consisting of MISHIMA, ISSEI, WOOSUNG and DAISHIN MARUs escorted in the latter
stages by hydrographic survey ship KOMAHASHI.

5 January 1943: Arrives at Busan. Loads 399 troops of the 20th Army division assigned to the first operation HEI-ICHI GO (HEI-1) and 300 bundles of supplies.

7 January 1943: Departs Busan for Wewak, New Guinea with transport group “HINOE-GO No. 1” in the 3rd transport echelon also consisting of JUSAN MARU escorted by destroyer YUGURE.

15 January 1943: At 1000, the 3rd transport echelon arrives at Palau, Carolines.

19 January 1943: At 0800, SHINKYO MARU departs Palau for Wewak in the 3rd transport echelon also consisting of ARATAMA and JUSAN MARUs escorted by destroyer YUGURE.

23 January 1943: At 0200, the convoy arrives at Wewak and unloading operations are proceeded. At 1100, the convoy departs Wewak for Palau.

26 January 1943: The convoy arrives at Palau. Departs later for Seito (Tsingtao), China in the same convoy arriving there at an unknown date.

E February 1943: Loading operations of 41st Army Division troops, vehicles, supplies and provisions are proceeded.

10 February 1943: Departs Seito escorted by destroyer YUGURE.

21 February 1943: Arrives at Palau.

22 February 1943: At 1300, departs Palau in the 4th transport echelon convoy also consisting of JUSAN and ARATAMA MARUs escorted by destroyer YUGURE.

26 February 1943: At 1200, after a submarine alert, in which a
Nakajima B5-N Kate drops bombs on a shadow in the water, the convoy arrives at Wewak, discharges troops and cargo. At 2330 the same day, departs Wewak back to Palau.

21 February 1944: Convoy MOTA-05 is attacked by US Submarines and
later aircraft. As a result MOTA-03 is ordered to remain at Naha and await
MOTA-05.

27 February 1944: The two convoys merge and depart from Naha. MOTA-05
at this point consists of SHONAN, NICHIREI MARUs and tanker TEIKON MARU and one
unidentified merchant ship escorted by kaibokan IKI.

29 February 1944: Arrives at Kirun.

5 March 1944: In the early morning departs Kirun and later that day
arrives at Takao.

24 March 1944: At 1430, as planned KUNIKAWA MARU is detached from the
convoy and proceeds independently to Balikpapan Bay, Borneo arriving later that
day.

About 28 nms E of Cape Chinaka, SE Mindanao, Philippines. LtCdr (later Cdr)
Walter T. Griffith’s (USNA’34) USS BOWFIN (SS-287) makes radar contact with the
convoy. At 2348, Griffith’s first salvo scores two hits on BENGAL MARU at
05-38N, 125-58E. In addition to her 54 crewmen, the transport is carrying 262
soldiers, 150 Formosans attached to a military labor unit and 54 other
passengers. BENGAL MARU sinks rapidly taking down with her 41 crewmen, four
gunners and 161 passengers.

At 2353, Griffith torpedoes and hits SHINKYO
MARU at 05-37N, 125-58E. Awash from stern to bridge, SHINKYO MARU sinks in three
minutes taking down with her 12 crewmen and 49 passengers.

15 May 1944: Removed from the Navy List under internal order No. 654.

Authors Notes: [1] Not to be confused with IJA transport (5204 GRT, ’18) [2]
See Zatsuyosen home page for full explanation. [3] Additionally, SHINKYO
MARU was fitted with two single 13mm Type 93 MGs, one 7.7mm single MG, 13
rifles, six pistols and two depth-Charge stern racks with storage for 32 Type 95
DCs. [4] There were two categories of Zatsuyosen. (Ko) category with an IJN
Captain as supervisor aboard and (Otsu) category without. [5] The second of
the three planned movements, Operation HEI-NI-GO (Hei-2), the transport of the
208th Air Group was cancelled.

Thanks go to Gengoro S. Toda of Japan.

Photo credit and special thanks go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany for
his assistance concerning Operation C (HEI-GO).